Introduction
Many people have misconceptions about what VR is and what it is trying to achieve as a whole.
For many, VR is just a novel accessory meant for gamers to enhance the way they play by allowing a more immersive experience through the use of VR headsets and haptics; this wouldn’t be untrue either.
However, we believe VR can be much more than what it appears to be on the surface and is something that we’ll start understanding better once its full potential has been unlocked.
For this reason, we think getting on board with VR early is definitely worth it and we’re going to tell you why including where we think it’s going as a technology.
VR Is Worth It: 6 Compelling Reasons Why
Before reading
Here is a selection of some bestselling VR headsets in case you do decide to take the plunge.
1. VR is its own experience
Many people make the mistake of assuming that VR is strictly a gaming accessory when in reality, it’s actually much more of its own unique experience.
VR headsets don’t just allow you to augment video games, they also allow you to explore the real world in a virtual 3D environment, can take you to the edge of space, and can be a conduit for creating digital art.
In a sense then, VR is worth it purely because it can provide so many unique experiences that no other product or technology can.
People still haven’t fully realized yet that VR is a standalone technological innovation able to flourish on its own, irrespective of the traditional video games market.
Once this mindset shifts, we’ll see a cascade of new developments within the VR market, and in fact, we’re already starting to see new businesses get on board with what VR can bring to the table.
2. It’s a precursor to metaverse technologies
Perhaps, one of the most interesting offshoots of VR has been the metaverse market which is attempting to bridge the gap between reality and virtuality.
What most innovators have realized since creating VR, is that, VR technology isn’t quite there yet for what we want it to be, and that something in-between like augmented reality is a better step to take with current limitations.
Overlaying our real world with the help of AR glasses and AI algorithms is a much easier task than it is to simulate the complicated nature of reality through VR or virtual environments.
AR in that sense then is a much better technology to monetize for businesses as it can be adopted by a wider range of markets than VR can, whilst also being quickly scalable with current technological standards.
How does this make VR worth it then, we hear you ask?
Well, being familiar with how VR works will give you a natural advantage when AR becomes adopted by the mainstream, possibly allowing you to integrate yourself much quicker.
3. Innovations are happening very fast within the VR industry
Believe it or not, it’s the retail market that is stuck in the past, not the commercial market when it comes to VR.
Big business already understands the sweeping technological innovation that VR can provide, and potentially how lucrative it can be with the right developments.
It’s an exciting time to be a VR user as you’ll be able to test out a plethora of different apps that will allow you to create, connect, and compete with other people in an interconnected virtual landscape.
However, we’ve also seen the power that VR can offer in important commercial and government industries such as medical, energy, and aviation.
Basically, by being a VR user right now, you’re currently at the forefront of technological innovation and will passively provide useful information to different businesses simply by being a user of their services.
In a way, you’re helping to define history purely because you’re one of only a handful of people who really understand or believe in the tech for what it is.
4. It allows you to connect with things in a different way
VR is virtually (pun intended) at the point where it can make many different experiences seem lifelike.
Even rather simple experiences such as simulating being in a movie theatre can be a rather satisfying experience for when you’re wanting to spend a couple of hours watching a movie or your favorite show on Netflix.
However, VR is perhaps even better for allowing us to connect with things in a different, or enhanced way that isn’t usually possible without the VR headset or use of haptics.
Being able to turn your head realistically or engage your hands with your character in a lifelike fashion is something that simply isn’t possible with a traditional control or mouse and keyboard setup.
These added details make for far more immersive games of which the experiences can’t be replicated through traditional means — it also allows us to get much more creative with how we can connect with each other online.
5. VR has big backing behind it
Companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook (better known as Meta these days) all have a serious stake in the VR, AR, and metaverse industries, whether realized with actual products or ones that are currently in development.
These are the top companies in the world, and for that reason, you should definitely be paying attention to VR.
These companies really believe in the concept of VR, in that they’re willing to bet a large slice of their revenue in making it become a new technological and developmental frontier for both business and retail to engage in.
VR, AR, and the metaverse could easily become a new type of landscape where we do business, similar in a way to your traditional high street or brick-and-mortar store where we would have done business in the past.
Again, this is another certification or pat on the back as you will, that VR will become the next big thing and that it’s definitely worth giving a go to see what it’s all about.
6. It can free you from physical and/or real-world limitations
Another reason why VR is exceptional and totally worth it is that it can help people with physical dispositions or limiting factors to realize their dreams more easily.
Whether that be to fly a plane, move around more freely through an avatar that will allow them to do that, and even to visit the edge of space which only a handful of lucky (or rich) people have been able to do up until now.
VR can deliver an exceptionally realistic experience thanks to modern computing advancements and recent developments in screen technology.
Better yet, all of this can be done from the comfort of your own home, where the only limiting factor might be having a little bit of space to move around or having an internet connection.
In the future, it’s even posited that the metaverse/augmented reality (an off-shoot of VR technology) will even allow us to transcend our physical identities by allowing us to overlay very realistic features to our bodies such as hair, accessories, different eye colors, and even different clothing, similar in a way to phone filters but done better.
Removing limitations has always been one of humanity’s core goals, and VR/AR is one of the best ways to do this.
Conclusion
Yes, VR is worth it because it’s a unique experience that can’t be replicated by any other device or through traditional means.
It also frees us from real-world and physical limitations by allowing us to simulate lifelike conditions and experiences that aren’t usually possible for the average person e.g. going to the edge of space.
However, if you’re expecting it to replace traditional gaming then you’ll be disappointed.
That’s because VR is better in theory than in its execution when it comes to games.
Basically, for VR to be worth it for gaming, it needs to become much more refined (think full bodysuits and omnidirectional treadmills), more eye-friendly for long periods of play, and better supported in-game developments specifically made for VR.
The mistake that most people make is that they assume VR is for gaming — Yes, it started out strongly linked to the gaming industry but it has become much more than that, even becoming a new type of industry through the advent of the metaverse.
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